


Anything For Them

by Imtakinganap



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ass-Kicking, Awesome Normal People, Bad Heroes, Childhood Trauma, Feel-bad, Feel-good, Fluff, Gen, Good Villains, Happy, Heroes being dicks, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Make a Wish Foundation, Make a wish, Nurses, Sad, Sarcasm, Sarcastic Child, Underdogs, Villains and their Fans, sick kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-05 14:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13390101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imtakinganap/pseuds/Imtakinganap
Summary: Inspired by the "Make-A-Wish Villains/Villain Wrangler" Tumblr Post. Basically, villains are contacted by Make-A-Wish workers about kids wanting to meet their villains vs. meeting heroes while in the hospital because they find the villains way cooler than the heroes.NOTE: main character Trevor has chapters from his perspective written in third person, and leading villain, Moira, has chapters written in first person. Hope this isn't too confusing.





	1. She's My Villain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Children in Need](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Children+in+Need).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor meets his new Wish case, a young girl, who catches him off guard with what she wishes for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo! This chapter is setting up Trevor's character, giving you a brief insight on how he thinks and what his values are. Not too much going on, but thinking about this while I was writing it made me cry. Like, ugly cry. As I put in my notes about this fic, this is dedicated to hospitalized children (or anyone hospitalized, really, but kids makes this sadder>:) I was hospitalized when I was about three and was a resident for a few months, but I can't imagine the struggles of kids like Felicity, the young girl.

Trevor 

 

A young man named Trevor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had just been assigned a girl named Felicity, and he was a bit anxious to meet her. So far, the nurses said she was sweet and the other Make-A-Wish representatives have agreed, but Katie, who was assigned to Caleb, an 8-year-old in the room next to Felicity's, said she was a bit off. Trevor was used to dealing with children who weren't completely... there, whether due to illness, disability, trauma, or combinations, but Katie described her as odd. Not a common word used in the foundation, surprisingly.

But, regardless of his doubts, Trevor stepped through the door with the pretty nurse he'd chatted with earlier, and walked into a very cozy hospital room.

Gold River Hospital hosted mostly children, rarely others, and was known for its friendly and welcoming approach to resident patients. But Trevor had never seen a room like Felicity's.

Hand-drawn posters covered almost every wall surface, excluding the television and the window, which was very common. But these posters weren't of Red Suave, Sergeant, Captain Gargoyle, Scout, or even Black Bull, who was roomed just down a few stories in the same hospital, but of... Mercury? The villain? The drawings were done very well for crayon, and Felicity captured Mercury's likeness rather nicely, even to the detail of the small gap between two teeth on the right side of her mouth. The curtains were gray with white polka-dots, which matched the quilt burying the tiny girl in the bed. The normal vital monitor stood next to her bed and a small bedside table was a perch for a vase of pink carnations and a large box of crayons. It wasn't until Felicity cleared her throat when Trevor turned his attention to her.

Trevor had only been assigned one child before; Jackson, who loved monster trucks. His room had been decked out in neon green and blue, and toys littered his bed. Seeing a room so gray was... odd.

"Good morning, sir," came a small voice from under the quilt. Trevor turned his attention back to the task at hand and pushed his glasses up his nose and tightened his tie.

"Good morning, Felicity," he responded. "How are you?"

Felicity smiled, wrinkling the top of her bald head. "Cancerous." Trevor leaned back, shocked, but the nurse, Hailey, behind him laughed.

"Don't ask her how she's doing or how she is. She'll surprise you," Nurse Hailey warned.

Trevor swallowed and nodded. "Um, right. Yes, erm... ah, I'm from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Felicity, and I'm here to ask wh-"

"What my wish is," Felicity interjected. "I know."

Trevor nodded and smiled nervously. "Well, then. Aren't you a smart little..." He glanced at his clipboard. "Seven year old. Not many are that perceptive, you know."

Felicity smiled again and wiggled her toes, making lumps move on her quilt. "I know," she chimed.

"Your family has arranged a wish for you. All we need now is your wish," Trevor began to explain, but the patient chimed in before he could say anything else.

"I wanna meet Mercury!" she shrieked as she jerked forward. "She's so cool, and she's really pretty, too! I wonder what she looks like under her mask! Do you know? I don't. OH! Could you ask her to bring her sword, Epilogue? I wanna touch it." Felicity leaned back when she had finished, taking deep breaths as her monitor slowly accelerated, indicating her quickening heart rate.

Trevor stood still, unsure of what to say. He turned to the nurse, who looked calm and collected, and sighed. He turned back to Felicity, who was beaming and clutching her quilt with one small hand. He took a deep breath and let the words flow.

"Felicity, you know Mercury is evil, right? She's one of the bad guys. She's a thief and a killer, not a hero." As Trevor went on, Felicity's face lost its glow and she cast down her gaze. "Wouldn't you rather meet Scout? She's very nice and loves to spend time with kids."

Felicity sighed and turned over in her bed, blocking her view. "No," came the small voice.

Nurse Hailey piped up and slowly ushered Trevor out of the room. "She's something, isn't she?" she asked with a giggle, softly closing the door and leaning against it. Trevor looked around the hallway, looking for anyone within earshot, then turned to Hailey.

"What does she have?"

"Neuroblastoma. Very rare, but it's there," Hailey sighed and crossed her arms, shaking her head with empathy in her big eyes. "It spread to her neck and began to rot away at her arm," she added. "The left one that she kept under her blanket."

"How long does she have estimated?" Trevor asked after a sad moment of silence.

"A year at most," Hailey confessed. "It was found in stage three, but this type is nearly impossible to treat. It spreads like a wildfire and we have no idea where it started."

Trevor shook his head, imagining little Felicity in a too-small casket. He silently made up his mind. "Well, she'll get her wish before then.

Hailey laughed and quickly covered her mouth. "You're joking right? Oh!!" Hailey's eyes widened. "You mean an actor. Good idea."

Trevor shook his head. "No, I mean the real Mercury. I'm going to find her and make her visit Felicity."

Hailey smiled and shook her head. "Sure you will. Just," she closed her eyes. "Don't let her down. Her family almost never visits her, the other kids don't like her, and she's shy. Please just get an actor. She'll never know the difference." Hailey turned away to get to her break room. "Good luck!" she called over her shoulder.

Trevor clutched his clipboard and took out his phone. He flipped through his contacts, trying to find... ah, there it was. He tapped the name "Caroline" and called her. 

Not a second had passed when someone on the other end asked, "Who is it?": a choppy female voice.

"It's Trevor, Carol," Trevor replied, rolling his eyes and tapping his foot. The voice brightened and he jumped a bit, taken aback by the change.

"Oh hi, sweetie! What can I do for you?!"

The man winced and shook his head. "Do you know where the villains usually hang out?"

A long pause came after his question. "Villains?" she queried in a serious tone. "That's not the type of work I usually do. I'm a weather news anchor, not a suicidal reporter looking to make a big break, Trev."

"Yes, I'm aware. Do you know anyone who tracks down villains and could you ask them?" Trevor nearly begged.

Caroline laughed. "Yeah, sure. You want that medium or well-done? I could even get you a side of 'screw-yous' too, if you'd like."

"Carol!" Trevor was at his limit. "Please. I need this for a child."

Another pause. "Yeah, sure. Hang on, I'm at the press right now, I'll ask someone," she responded with a sympathetic undertone. 

Trevor waited while he listened to the conversation Carol had on the other end with another reporter. Finally she said, "Ghost Queen Pub, off of 43rd and Delta Avenue. That isn't the safest part of town Trevor, so be careful." Carol paused for a moment, listening to someone else. "I'm on in five. Gotta go! Stay safe!" she warned as a beep alerted that the other line had hung up.

Trevor sighed and tightened his tie again. If it was wished, it was done, and Trevor marched down the hall to the elevator, concocting a plan to find one of the most elusive criminals of the century, convince her to visit a dying child, and not get killed in the process. Easy.


	2. It's All Gone Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here, we are introduced to Moira, aka Mercury the Super-villain. Trevor confronts her at her favorite bar and the scene plays out.

Moira 

 

Cars blew past and made my hair fly up as I walked down 43nd Street. Normally, you would just turn the corner at Delta Avenue, but I turned into the alley just before the intersection and came to a dark door nearly obscured in the darkness. I knocked three times, waited, then twice more. The door swung open and I saw no one in the doorway. I looked around and took a step in.

"OI!" came a gruff voice from down below.

There was a very short man with a scruffy beard holding the door open. Like, really short. Dwarf short.

"Move it," I barked. The day was coming to an end and I wasn't in the mood for dealing with people today. The dwarf stepped aside with a "hmph" and I stormed past him, down the narrow hallway. Pictures of the patrons that were banned from the bar were hung up on an ancient cork board and it rattled as I stomped past them. I turned the corner the smells of domestic beers and fry grease greeted me. I breathed them in, feeling safe, and chose a stool. The bartender, Joey tonight, nodded at me and fixed me my usual drink.

A vivacious voice from the back of the pub pulled my attention from my thoughts and I swiveled around to see a woman performing on the small stage at the back of the bar. She had a wonderful voice that intertwined itself with the accompanist's playing on the piano. It brought back memories and I found myself wanting to get closer. A rainy day, smell of coffee, my boyfriend and I laughing together on the couch...

I hadn't realized it but I had already walked halfway across the bar when I snapped out of my daze. It took me a moment, but I realized she was a superhuman. The other patrons were all leaning towards her, listening with stars dancing across their eyes and I shook my head, laughing.

"That's Harmony, right there," Joey explained as I returned to my stool. "She's a bit new, but I'm sure she'll stay and hopefully bring in some new customers." He put my drink on the counter and I downed the entire cup. Sharp, fiery tendrils of alcohol shot up my nose.

"How'd you learn to resist it?" I asked nonchalantly, swirling my drink.

Joey pulled his t-shirt collar down just above his mid-chest, exposing a pendant with a spherical charm about the size of a large marble. He unhooked a small latch and opened it, revealing... cloves?

"She's a witch. Smell of cloves keeps her from acting like a magnet for ya." I nodded and opened my mouth to speak, but the music stopped and the bar went silent. Spinning around on the stool, I looked around and found that someone had walked in, but not a usual. He looked dorky, like a guy who bragged about going to a conference with his other geeky buddies. He had a thick green winter coat on and snowflakes from the winter storm outside rested in his brown hair. Frosted glasses were snug in the crease of the bridge of his nose and he had a laptop satchel on his shoulder.

Harmony continued to sing from where she was and I turned back to my drink. My head was still pounding from working myself to the brink at the local gym today, and to make it even worse, this nerdy stranger decided to sit next to me.

He ordered a Blue Moon and spun around on his stool, his back against the bar. I looked down at the counter to avoid his gaze, but against all of the signs he was sending, he cleared his throat and started talking to me.

"So... um... you come here often," he started. I was slightly caught off-guard; I was used to hearing that, but he didn't say that phrase as a question. He said it as a statement. So I ignored him. This was probably one of Mr. Jinx's guys coming to play a prank.

The stranger laughed. "Not the social type, are you? But um, I have something to tell you." Joey set the beer on the counter and the man thanked him as he opened his bag and pulled out a clipboard. He took a swig and his friendly tone dropped to one of secrecy and threat. "I know who you are."

I looked up from my vodka and glared at him, straight in the eyes with a tense jaw. This look was one that I learned, from experience, could make even the bravest heroes doubt themselves, but this geek didn't back down.

"Screw off," I grumbled and downed the rest of my drink. Joey took my glass and I left the payment on the counter as I turned to leave.

Nerdy hopped up and got in front of me, a desperate look on his pasty face. "Wait! I'm not done," he spit out as he flipped through his pages on the clipboard. "My name's Trevor and I work for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. There's been a child that has asked to meet you. Her name is-"

I smacked the clipboard out of his hands. Tonight was not the night for a prank. "Get the hell out of my way," I growled. I was about to push this jerk out of the way when he whipped his glasses off, tucked them in his button-down shirt pocket, and picked up his clipboard.

He took a deep breath and started again. "Please, ma'am, her name is Felicity and she's only eight years old. She's going to die within the year and she's a huge fan of yours."

What happened next, well, in hindsight, it was an asshole move, but I didn't fully understand at the time.

I laughed in his face. The lengths that people go to bother supers, it's ridiculous. "Listen, buddy, your joke is hilarious. You can go home now," I told him.

Trevor's eye twitched and he started to yell, attracting the attention of everyone in the bar. "No, YOU listen here! There is a child who is  _ dying _ and for some reason, she's a huge fan of Mercury, the thieving and murderous criminal you are! I've been trying to find you for two months, and this child will not be let down by the selfishness of some vermin like you!" He took a deep breath and put his glasses back on. Once he could see properly again, he looked around the bar and realized what he'd done. Harmony had ceased her singing again and the other patrons were staring at this guy who was five inches shorter than me and at me, who had just been told off by the guy who's five inches shorter than me.

He reluctantly looked back at me and shuddered. I didn't blame him: he had just yelled at one of the most dangerous people in the world. I smiled, but not a gentle smile. The smile of a wolf baring its teeth about to sink its fangs into a sheep. I grabbed his throat and dragged him out the way I had came. Gags and choking sounds came from him and he slapped at my arm and tried prying my fingers off, but I ignored him and marched out into the snow in the alley. He looked at me with bulging eyes and I pushed him up against the wall. I could feel his fear, I could see it in his blue eyes and I pushed down the urge to kill him right there. This feeling was like a drug, having someone's life in your hands (literally) and being able to do whatever you wanted to with it, and it was intoxicating.

The feeling left as quickly as it came. I was better than that. Unlike most villains, I had a code. Innocent people were not to be killed. I'd assassinate a big-bank executive who taxed those living in the swamps of poverty just to feed his fat stomach more lobsters and exotic foods, but this guy... Trevor... he's a good guy.

I let him loose and he sank to the frosty pavement, coughing and wheezing. I gave him a moment and once he caught his breath again, I helped him stand up.

"I'm so sorry," I began, hand on his shoulder to help him balance.  "You said her name was Felicity?"

Trevor looked at me with huge eyes (maybe that was just his glasses) and he looked like he'd forgotten how to speak.

"Um, y-yes," he finally stammered.

"What hospital and room number is she?" I pressed.

"Gold River Hospital, floor six, room 309." He still looked at me like I was some sort of alien. "Wait, are you serious about this?"

"Serious enough."

Trevor coughed a little and looked at me, squinting.

"Um, when do you think you could go and-"

"No, no, no, no." I cut him off. "Can't tell you that. Don't want you calling the police or any heroes while I'm there."

Trevor nodded and smoothed out his obnoxious coat. "Right. Um, you might want to know, that Black Bull? He's in the same hospital."

I laughed again. "Yes, I'm aware. I put him there."

"Ah, right," he said uncomfortably. "Felicity would also like it if you brought your famous sword."

"Oh," I started, reaching into the snow piled against the wall and the ground, feeling for my duffel bag. I pulled Epilogue out of the bag and her colorful blade reflected streetlamp light onto the walls. Her familiar weight and design made me feel comfortable, knowing that with this, nothing could stop me. Nothing. "You mean this sword?"

"Yes," Trevor laughed nervously. "That's the one." He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. "By the way, I know you're all big and strong and dangerous, but, ah, she's dying. Please, be... gentle, or whatever."

I nodded. "Of course, and here," I took out a pen from my bag and took his arm, writing on the back of his hand. "This is my personal number. My only number, actually. Give it to anyone else, and I will know. You can use this to contact me if you need to." I shoved my belongings back in the bag with my gym clothes and running shoes and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Trevor called.

I stopped and faced him. "Yes?"

"Why are you doing this? I didn't think a villain would even consider visiting an insignificant child." He shifted his weight and looked more uncomfortable than he had at any previous point tonight.

"I'm a bit more than a villain, kid. And no child is insignificant. You know how I got the title of super-villain?"

"Not really... I just know that you steal from whoever you want and you kill people. Is that how? Did you have to reach a certain body count or something?" he guessed with a sour expression shadowing his face.

"No," I cut. "I got it because I kept the little villains in line. One of them tried to take advantage of a group of... um, elementary-schoolers and I wouldn't allow him. I defended them and eventually drove him out of the school and into an alley. Let's just say that it took the city a few days to clean up the mess I'd made with his blood and organs."

Trevor shook his head. "So you were a hero."

"No, I was a villain. I killed him instead of turning him over to the police. That's one of the differences between heroes and villains. We're willing to do anything and we can see when something, or someone, has no hope of changing. Heroes are forced to spare people who've done things worse than I have and they have to fight even when they know they'll lose. They have a public image of hope and righteousness to uphold." I smiled, gently this time, and walked out of the alley.

"Wait! One more thing!"

A loud sigh escaped my mouth and once again, I turned around. "What now?"

"You were talking about Fiend, weren't you?" Trevor asked. The traffic lights reflected on his glasses and I nodded.

"Yeah, Fiend was a pedophile and a rapist. He was flat-out... not even evil. He was a spider that needed to be exterminated," I spat. I shook my head, recalling the gaunt frame of a greasy, cloaked man standing over a few nine-year-old's. I relished slicing into his disgusting hide, blood staining his coat and painting the walls of the alley. I remember screaming and forcing him to beg for mercy he could never earn.

"Everyone said that Fiend was imprisoned by Red Suave on some secret island where they keep all of the other bad guys they catch," Trevor stated.

"Everyone was wrong. Remember, public image. Suave is just someone wanting to take credit for taking down something disgusting, which only polishes his pedestal even more." I glanced at the crosswalk and the 'CROSSING' symbol flickered on. "Trevor, I need to go. Good night," I called as I ran across the walk and onto the sidewalk.

"Good night!" I heard him call.

The dark night hid my smiling face. For years, I'd been wanting to tell someone, anyone the truth. I had no friends, really. Can't when you're in a position like mine. And to know that some kid would rather meet me than a superhero... I felt like I could run around the globe. Even when you have a heart of stone, it still feels nice to know that people care.


	3. Aluminum Linoleum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light is shed on Moira's personal life and her own enemies and connections to greater powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTICE: this chapter contains rather explicit descriptions of the abuse Moira faced as a child. If you are not comfortable reading something like that, PLEASE DO NOT FORCE YOURSELF TO. I will update eventually (hopefully sometime this weekend).

Moira

 

Echoes from dripping water bounced around my apartment. As if I didn't already have a tough time getting sleep. Rolling and tossing around was a normal sleeping habit for me, except it happened while I was awake. This was a routine that cursed me for the majority of the night, and on a good day, I got three hours of sleep.

After deciding that wishing for sleep was useless, I stood up and started my coffee-maker. My legs were sore from running all day (on a treadmill, not from anyone) and I wished I'd picked up some ice before I'd came home. 

The sun was just peeking above the bottom of my window and highlighted the peeling wallpaper around the window pane. Damn, my landlord is gonna kill me one day. Oh wait, I already killed him. Normal people don't ever see or understand just how awful other people are. Sure, I'm near the top of the "evil" totem but there's a difference between evil and wicked. My landlord had been swindling people into paying more than they needed and I'd witnessed him evicting a pregnant woman with two young children and a baby on her hip. She was in tears and almost on her knees begging for a week to get the money to him, but he just smiled and threatened to call police to force her out. The poor woman had been paying twice as much as she needed to. 

Aromas of coffee called me back and I took my mug, now full of piping-hot brown liquid, and drank while I thought back on the previous day. I'd had a close call downtown at Julian Wiles Bank, a prestigious establishment that had the top security system in the state. I'd been able to slip into an office and steal some access codes and hacked the city's Teller Machine grid, forcing several of the nearly abandoned ATMs throughout the downtown area to eject every bill they contained within ten minute intervals of each other. With the time blocks, I had time to collect at the first, then drive down to the second just as it was emptying itself out, then to the third and so on. I'd collected over four million, in cash, but at the last machine I'd collected at, I was met by a super.

Scout was a modern-day saint to the world. She could fly, wielded a bow, and had the whitest teeth this planet has ever been blinded by. She did her whole superhero spiel of "This is the last robbery you'll ever commit, Mercury. Your days of stealing are over." Yeah, whatever, sweetie. No matter how fast she can fly, or how fast she can do her makeup to intercept a villain, or how fast she can knock an arrow, I was faster. I had been prepared for her and had landed a throwing knife (coated with a fast-acting tranquilizer) in her hip before she'd finished telling me that I was headed for jail. Not even Red Suave, the best of the best, could catch me. There's no way I would have let a bombshell blonde like her land me in Sing-Sing. So I left her there, took my knife and cash, and bailed before some passerby tried to act like a hero. Or call the police.

I shook my head and set my coffee down. Normal people should feel bad about doing something like that. You're not normal though. You're not even a citizen of this damned country. My eyes involuntarily flitted over to the Mexican flag on my wall, hanging in shreds over my practicing target. No matter the number of knives I sent through that strip of fabric, the nightmare of my family and childhood always haunted me, like some sort of spider lurking in the darkest corners of my head. 

My mother and father weren't Mexican, they were Italian and Egyptian, but they decided they would have better business selling drugs to America over the border. And they dragged my three-year-old ass down there with them. I hated it there. It was always so loud, even in the upscale neighborhoods for the wealthier folks where we lived. It was beautiful there, too. We owned a large garden where my brother and I would hide from our father from whenever he would beat our mother. Not that she didn't deserve it sometimes. She was vocally merciless towards him, towards us, and never ceased her sharp, venomous tongue. Sure, that didn't excuse my father to hit her, but I didn't really care at the time. Just look happy when in public and maybe you won't be starved or tortured that night. 

Shadows and whispers of other horrors drifted across my eyes, but I shut them tight and held my breath, just like I would when I was younger. Hold your breath and close your eyes. It won't go away, but it will look like it's gone and you won't smell the blood on your father's fists as he rained down on your thin frame. 

Focus on something else. This isn't good for you. 

The child that I was asked to visit came to mind. Travis, or whatever his name was, had given me her file when he met me at Joey's. She was seven, I think, and had a very aggressive form of cancer. She was missing an arm and I thought of Jackal, another villain. He had lost his right arm to a disease when he had lived in Kazakhstan, but he'd replaced it with a robotic appendage that could pick locks and calculate pin pad codes. I smiled, remembering when I ran into him at the same bank. I'd been planning a heist, but he got to the cash before I did. He was a small villain at the time, not a "super-villain" yet, but I let him keep all of the cash, something he still jokes with me about. 

My coffee had gone cold by now and the sun was shining fully in my face and highlighting every speck of dust floating around in my apartment.

The kid still weighed on my brain, though. At first I wasn't sure if I would go visit her. Terry (what the hell was his name) probably has a guard set up around her, and Black Bull was rooming in the same building. 

I swirled my cold coffee around and set it back down on the rickety table in the center of the room. I don't have anything better to do. 

Half an hour later, I was suited up in my gray, leotard-looking suit with my fishnets covering the rest of my legs and sliding under my boots. I felt confident like this, knives stowed away on the inside of my black leather jacket and with my hair tied up in a meticulous bun. Red lipstick graced my pouty mouth and I smiled as I stashed Epilogue in the sheath strapped to my leg. This kid's in for quite the visit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, I've been really busy recently and haven't had much time to write. I will update soon :)


	4. Check-In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor returns to Felicity to visit her and ask if Mercury had shown up. Of course she had, but Trevor didn't expect to what extent Mercury went to. Pretty fluffy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I haven't written in months. I'm sure that no one is really reading at this point, and I'm super busy with competitions and productions that I'm cast in and other academic projects. Thank you for reading, guys :)

Trevor

 

Trevor had been standing there for over five minutes, still not even touching the door. He wasn't ready to see the look of disappointment on Felicity's face. It had been over three months since he had discussed the certainty that her "hero", Mercury, would not visit her. It had been very painful, especially considering that Mercury had done a good portrayal of honest desire to do good. But villains can't be heroes. Felicity had been hopeful when Trevor had last visited her, but he now doubted that she was still.

He took a slow breath and gingerly opened the door to room 309.

Felicity was positively the farthest thing from hopeful that one could be; she was closer to hysterically elated.

As he remembered, the gray curtains were still there with the hand drawn posters, but there were three large, printed posters of Mercury doing various brooding poses; one with her kaleidoscopic blade, one showing only her holding her geometric mask at her side, cut off so that her face was hidden, and the last of her balancing on the edge of an impossibly tall skyscraper. It immediately struck Trevor that Mercury had to pose for these photo shoots, which looked just as professional that the superhero posters that were hung up around town. The thought was amusing.

Felicity was reading an old, curling-at-the-corners comic book while sipping from a juice box perched conveniently on her shoulder as she lay on her side. She rolled over and beamed at the man.

"Mr. Trevor, Mercury came! Look at what she got me!" she squealed while pointing at the opposite side of the room.

Somehow, Trevor hadn't noticed a stuffed yellow duckling the size of a Great Dane in the corner away from the door with a large gray ribbon tied around its wing. Felicity rolled on her other side, exposing the small lump of where only her left shoulder that was bandaged over. She grabbed something from off her bedside table and gestured for him to come over.

In her tiny hand was a stack of Polaroid pictures of the young girl in front of him with the gray, masked woman she idolized. Several were of different goofy poses and Felicity making faces and peace signs from Mercury, but the last few were rather sweet. Mercury had the side of her jaw rested on top of Felicity's head with her arm around the child's shoulders, like a gentle embrace. The second to last was of Felicity holding Mercury's gloved hand. The sizes were drastically different, but it was a heartwarming image. The last was of Mercury sitting on the hospital bed with Felicity resting in her lap and letting hold the same sword as the one in the wall poster.

While Trevor went through each photo, Felicity chattered about how Mercury brought a giant box of crayons with over 300 colors and a stack of premium art pads and how she had autographed each poster, how she had crawled in through the window with a special harness, and how she had brought a smaller replica of her mask and a wooden version of her sword, oh, and a suitcase full of apple juice boxes, Felicity's favorite. He could hardly contain himself. Not only had Mercury followed through with what she said she would do, that Felicity was beyond joy, but the biggest worry that Trevor had, that Mercury would turn truly evil and hurt Felicity, was melted away.

Trevor bid Felicity goodbye and accepted a juice box that she offered him. He walked slowly down the hospital hallway, his head scrambled with contradictions. Mercury was a supervillain. A super villain, not just your run-of-the-mill criminal. She was known internationally and was the second on the list of World's Most Wanted. She was a murderer, a thief, an arsonist, and who knows what else she’s done. Many called her a terrorist, a devil, a curse, but Trevor hadn't ever heard of a terrorist visiting the hospital rooms of children that they didn't even know. And the story of Fiend's death kept floating across his mind. He was true evil. Mercury wasn't at that level, yet she was regarded as one of the most evil people on the planet. Perhaps that wasn't entirely true.


End file.
